Radiator valve



March 12, 1946. A. H. VITAGLIANO RADIATOR VALVE Filed March 31, 1944 INVENTOR. A/ben fay/1000 Patented Mar. 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIATOR VALVE Albert H. Vitagliano, Everett, Mass.

Application March 31, 1944, Serial No. 528,938

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in steam radiator valves of the type which are used in steam heating radiators, boilers and other steam systems in which his desired to permit the air which may be in the steam system to be driven out or prevent air from working back into the system when the steam pressure has dropped.

The present invention employs two valves in an arrangement in which one of the valves will close when the steam pressure drops and the other valve when the steam pressure rises. In the construction of the present invention the valve which closes upon the rise in steam pressure is operated and controlled by means of a simple thermostatic spring element, one end of which is supported in the element in which the valve stem is journalled and the other end of which works in a collar in the valve stem to actuate it in the desired direction.

The present invention has the further advantage that it has few elements and may be readily assembled and further that the parts are held in position in such a manner that merely by shaking or turning, no damage can be done to the valve.

With the use of a float valve, as contemplated in the present arrangement, the valve should be used in an upwardly projecting position but other than this, however, the valve may function in any position.

The invention will be more fully described in the specification set forth below when taken in connection with the drawing showing an embodiment of the same in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical sectional elevation through the invention.

Figure 2 shows a section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a section taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 shows a view of the detail shown in Figure 1.

In the drawing l indicates a housing or casing for the steam valve, which housing may be of metal or plastic or any composition capable of withstanding the temperatures and the moisture which the device may be subjected to. The casing I may be cylindrical or any shape suitable with an opening at the bottom which fits into a cup-shaped support 2 at one side of which is an extending cylindrical member 3 having a threaded cylindrical pipe outlet 4 by which the valve may be screwed into the radiator. The cylindrical member 3 may have a centrally located hole 5 which ends in a tapered valve seat 6 at the pipe outlet 4. A valve stem 1. with a conical head or end 8 is positioned in the hole 5 so that the conical valve head 8 may rest upon the tapered seat 6 and form a good closure when the stem is in a closed position. The stem 1 is supported for a sliding fit in a hole 9 in the block II]. This hole 9 is aligned with the hole 5 so that the stem 1 may slide back and forth to seat or unseat the valve closure 8 on the surface of the valve seat. The valve stem 1 is provided with a collar in which the forked ends ll of a bi-metallic thermostat element I 2 is positioned. This bi-metallic thermostat element is bent up and around in the form of an inverted U and the other end of it is securely fastened into the top of the block Ill at the point 13. While the bi-metallic thermostat element is shown substantially in the shape of an inverted U, or semicircular it may have an arcuate shape or other useful shape, it being arranged in such a manner that when the steam enters through the pipe opening 4 into the valve chamber, the bi-metallic element will expand in such a manner as to shut the valve by pulling the stem 1 to the left, as viewed in Figure 1.

It will be noted that the bi-metallic element is normally in such a position under ordinary temperatures that the valve head 8 is held away from the seat 6 and when the temperature decreases again to normal or lower than normal, the bimetallic element will assume the position indicated in Figure 1.

Positioned in the cylinder l above the bi-metallic element I2 is a grid support l4 upon which rests a float l5 carrying a float valve Hi. This float valve is is provided with a conical surface and an upwardly projecting stem l1 passing through an opening I8 in the valve seat element l9 which is rigidly supported in the casing I to its inside wall in a horizontal position. The support I9 on its lower face has a conical seat which fits the conical seat of the valve [6 so that when the float I5 is raised as, for instance, when water enters the lower portion of the valve, then the float will lift and no water will be permitted to escape through the radiator valve to the outside as, for instance, the floor or room in which the radiator is situated. This is an emergency provision which is useful in the event that the radiators become filled with water, which sometimes happens in careless operation after the radiators have cooled down.

The vacuum valve of the system is positioned in the top of the radiator valve. The casing I for this purpose is closed at the top in a closure 20.

at the top of the casing. An upwardly projecting shoulder 2| is provided between the top closure 20 and the cylindrical portion of the valve, which shoulder provides support for the cover members for the vacuum valve.

In this arrangement there is provided an inner cylindrical vessel 22 fitting closely against the upwardly projecting wall of the shoulder 2|. This cylindrical cover is; provided with openings 23, 24, 25' at its sideswhich extend also through the outer cylindrical cover 26 which has an axis concentric with the inner cover 22. The two covers are held together through a pin 21 concenvtrically located with respect to both covers.

These two covers are held together in such a way that the outer one may turn around, if desired, to align the inner and outer holes for the escape of air or steam. If desired, the inner cover 22 may be made fast to the vertical extension of the shoulder 2| by welding or. any other suitable manher. The top cover 20 across the main cylinder of the valve is provided with a conical opening 28 in which is positioneda conical valve member 29 having a stem 30 extending downward through the opening 28. The stem 30 is long enough so that if the valve should be turned around so that it would rest against the top portion of the cover 22, it would still extend through the hole 28 so that it could'notl be thrown out of its-position.

1n the arrangement as. described, after. the steam pressure has diminished, the steam within the valve chamber I will condense. and pressure lower than atmospheric pressure will be present within the chamber of the valve. I. Under these conditions the valve 291 will be forced down against the. seat. 28. and the vacuum within the valve [will be substantially maintained. However, after a time. this vacuum will leak out through neutralization. andJeaks in other parts of the system so that probably before steam is again supplied to the radiators, the chamber within the housing I will be filled with air. Un- I der these conditions when pressure is again built up and steam entersthe cylinder I, the air will be forced out through the opening 28 and pass out through the holes 23,24, Z-at the topof the radiator valve. These maybe. shutofi, if desired, when steam goes out but this. will inthe main be unnecessary since when steam. pressure has. en-

tered with the chamber I, the valve 8 will shut off the further flow of steam through the radiator valve whereupon vacuum will again be created and the valves, for the time being, will remain closed.

The action of the float valve has already been explained. This will go into operation when water rises in the system and in this case the valve 8 may or may not be closed, depending upon the temperature at which the water enters. For the most part, however, since the water willbe below the temperature of the steam, the valve will usually be opened.

This improved steam radiator valve is practical and efiicient and will operate within the range for which the system may be used. It may be made'to operate to close the outlet vents at a comparatively low pressure since the operation is entirely controlled through temperature means. If the action of the thermostat is such'as tovoperate below the temperature of the" steam, then the valve may be made'to close when the steam has only a few ounces of pressure.

Having now described my'invention, Iclaim:

A steam radiator valve comprising. acasing having a radiator inlet pipe at the bottom thereof, a thermostat steam valve positioned therein adapted to close with the admission of. steam therein, a g id support positioned above said valve in said casing, a float valveresting, when not buoyant, on said support, said float being shaped like said casing section butfreetomove in a direction longitudinal with-said casing, a-olo sure positioned directly above saidfloat extend.- ing across said casing and havingv a valve seat therein, said float member having a valve stem element adapted to fit against said seat with a stem projecting through said opening,.said sunport and float being positioned sufilciently close to said closure so that. said stem cannot fallrout of normal position, and an. air intake check valve at the top of said casing with a member ohecleing the influx of air in said radiator valve, said air intake check valve comprising a closurerat the top of said casing havingan opening with a valve seat therein, and a. valve member fitting insaid. seat with the stem thereof projecting. through said opening and a cover. over saidvalve. member positioned sufficiently close thereto to prevent said member from coming out of the opening.

ALBERT H. \TIYIYAGLIANO.v 

